Musical instrument



Au 12, 1947. P. MQAULIFFE 2,425,436

MUS I CAL INS TRUMENT Filed Sept. 25, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1- I mzentarPA e/cw M AM/FFE A g. 12, 1947. P. WULIFFE- ,4

MUS I CAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sept. 25, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 T By 2mm WW3mm Aug. 12,1947. P. McAULIFFE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT Filed Sept. 25; 1943 3Sheets-Sheet 3 w w m m m E m L 0 I n v I M m mfiw K m w w u? w PatentedAug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MUSICAL INSTRUMENT PatrickMcAuliffe, New York, N. Y.

Application September 25, 1943, Serial No. 503,803

12 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in musicalinstruments and more particularly to tone and volume control means for aharmonica.

An important object of the present invention is to provide mechanicalmeans for circulating air through the harmonica to eliminate the use ofa persons mouth for this purpose.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein likenumerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of one form of my invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevational View of the left hand end thereof.

Figure 3 is a similar view of the other end thereof.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view on a reduced scale takensubstantially on a line 44 of Figure 1 and illustrating use of therubber bulb for circulating air through the harmonica.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary front elevational.

view of the harmonica showing certain of the tone ports closed.

Figure 6 is a side elevational View of a modified form of tone andvolumecontrol means.

Figure '7 is a transverse sectional view taken on a line 'II of Figure6,

Figure 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a line 8-8 of Figure6, and

Figure 9 is a transverse sectional View taken on a line -99 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawings in detail and first with particularreference to Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, the numeral '5 designates acylindrical tube, open at each end, and having a longitudinal slot 6 inone side formed with inturned flanges I and adapted to snugly receive aconventional harmonica 8.

Adjacent one end or the tube is a ring 9 having a friction fit on thetube, said ring having an eye I attached thereto through which isloosely inserted a cord or other flexible member II to one end of whichis attached a cap I2 adapted to fit over the end of the tube to closethe latter and to the other end of the cord is attached a plug I3adapted to tightly fit into the end of the tube to also close the tube,the cap and plug being interchangeably used.

A cylindrical cap I4 slidably fits over the other end of the tube toclose said end, the cap I4 having an opening I in one side to form adischarge port for air in the tube, the area of the port beingcontrolled by the sliding adjustment of the cap I4 on the tube.

The harmonica may be secured in the slot 5 in any suitable manner, suchas soldering or the like (not shown), or clamped therein by bolts I6extended transversely of the tube adjacent each end of the harmonica thewalls of the tube flexing sufficiently for this purpose.

The harmonica is played in the usual manner, that is, by a personcirculating air therethrough by mouth, and the tone and volume may beregulated by removing and replacing the cap I2 or plug I3 on the end ofthe tube and by the adjustment of the cap I4 to regulate the size of theport I5.

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 4 and 5, the cap I2or plug I3 are dispensed with and the end of the tube I! is internallythreaded as indicated at lm for threaded engagement by a plug I8provided with a rubber bulb I9 on its outer end communicating with atube 20 inserted in the tube I1 and having a discharge opening 2| in oneside of its inner end disposed behind the harmonica 22.

A cover 23 is cemented as at 23a or otherwise secured over the outersurface of the tone ports 24 of the harmonica, a few of the ports beinguncovered or open as shown in Figure 4 for the intake and exhaust ofair.

The other end of the tube I! is closed by the adjustable cap '25.

Musical tones are produced by circulating air through the unobstructedports of the harmonica upon the expansion and contraction of the rubberbulb.

In Figures 7, 8 and 9, I have illustrated modified volume control meanswhich comprises a ring 26 secured on the tube 27 adjacent one end andfrom which a pair of lugs 28 and 28a project radially. A pin 29 bridgesthe lugs on which is pivotally mounted a bellcrank lever 30 having ahandle 3| at one end and a link 3:2 pivoted at its other end andconnected to the free edge of a cap 33 adapted to close the adjacent endof the tube 21. The cap 33 is swingably connected to the ring 26 by theinterengaged eyes 34 and 35. A coil spring 36 bears against a glasslining 3'! in the tube 21 and engages the inside of the cap 33 to urgethe latter into an open position, while the lever 30 may be manuallymanipulated to close the can.

A cord or flexible member 38 extends along the tube 21 through guides 39and is attached to the cap 33 at its free edge in any suitable manner toalso close the cap in place of the lever 30 by pulling on the cord.

It is believed that the details of construction and manner of use of thedevice will be readily understood from the foregoing without furtherdetailed explanation.

Having described the claimed as new is:

1. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica sitioned in the slot with itsmouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, means carried by the tube forconstricting the slot into clamping engagement with the sides of theharmonica and means for selectively closing both ends of the tube.

2. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, a closure removablypositioned on one end of the tube, and a cap slidably mounted on theother end of the tube and having an opening in one side adapted to becovered by the tube.

3. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, a closure removablypositioned on one end of the tube, and a cap slidably mounted on theother end of the tube and having an opening in one side having its arearegulated by the tube.

4. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardl of the tube, closures for the ends ofthe tube, and means for regulating the opening and closing of one of theclosures.

5. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, closures for the ends ofthe tube, manually operated means for actuating one of the closures inone direction and spring means actuating said one closure in an oppositedirection.

6. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, closures for the ends ofthe tube, a lever for moving one of the closures in one direction,

invention, what is and spring means for moving said one closure in anopposite direction.

7. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, closures for the ends ofthe tube, a flexible member for closing one of the closures, and springmeans urging said one closure into its open position.

8. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, a closure for one end ofthe tube, and an air pump secured in the other end of the tube.

9. A musical instrument comprising a casing having an opening therein,sound producing device fitted in the opening, and means for supplyingair under pressure into the casing.

10. A musical instrument comprising a tube closed at one end, aharmonica in the side of the tube, and an expansible rubber bulbattached to the other end of the tube and adapted to circulate airthrough the harmonica.

11. A musical instrument comprising a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a harmonica positioned in the slot I withits mouth engaging edge outwardly of the tube, means for constrictingthe sides of the slot into clamping engagement with the sides of theharmonica, closures removably positioned on the ends of the tube, atleast one of said closures embodying a plurality of closure devicesadapted for selectively positioning on the tube, and a flexible memberconnectin th plurality of closure devices to each other and to the tube.

12. A musical instrument comprisin a tube open at each end and having alongitudinal slot in one side, a glass lining in the tube, a harmonicapositioned in the slot with its mouth engaging edge outwardly of thetube, closures at the ends of the tube, and means for adjusting at leastone of the closures relative to the tube.

PATRICK McAULIFFE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Hohner Oct. 28, 1902Number

